‘Power, Language and Love’ // Brisbane Cabaret
‘Power, Language and Love’ was enticing.
On a lively Thursday night in The Sit Down Comedy Club, three sirens, an MD and a lively audience were transported to what felt like a cocktail bar with the enticing cabaret, ‘Love, Language and Power’.
The night kicked off with a stunning harmonised rendition of ‘Don’t Rain on my Parade’ that hooked the audience before the themes of the show were apparent. The piece took the audience on a charming exploration of each siren’s woes and highs, each discussing the topic of power, language and love.
Director and host of the evening, Debbie Taylor, did a wonderful job both behind the scenes and in the spotlight. Her witty barbs and one-liners kept the audience’s energy alight.
After the cheers of the first song were lowered and the audience was primed by Debbie, we moved to the first siren, Vivien Wood. Talking about the struggles of power, Woods’ delightful persona wooed the crowd. Her wondrous interpretation of many classics drew the audience in, while her light comedic moments with a puppet left many chuckling. Her powerhouse performance undeniably left a mark on the audience.
Then came the fiery Laura Fois, an Italian who moved to Australia. Fois discussed the many issues related to language in a country like Australia. Fois commanded the stage with her magnificent singing while showing an honest reflection of her struggles. Either through jokes or honesty, Fois managed the tone and pace of her performance with great skill. An absolute highlight was Fois’ rendition of ‘A Whole New World’ with a gentleman from the audience. Fois was a force to be reckoned with and left the audience in stitches.
The final siren, Nykita O’Keefe, handled a topic we all know too well: love. O’Keefe’s sweet character was a delightful way to close out the show. Relating to the struggles of finding “Mr. Right”, O’Keefe took the audience on an engaging journey and astounded with her singing prowess. However, the highlight was when O’Keefe did a BDSM cover of ‘You’ll Be Back’ from Hamilton. The sound of the audience was deafening. O’Keefe owned her show, and the audiences loved it.
Musical Director, Kym McNaughton, sat quietly by the side of the stage and seamlessly flowed each song from one to the next. The simple staging created a cocktail bar feel featuring a hatstand with feather scarves and microphone stands. Similarly simple was the lighting, which maintained a constant focus on the small stage to allow the performers to be the focus of the night.
By the time the sirens reunited for the closing song, the audience members were enthralled with this cabaret. Each performer brought their A-game, and in return, the audiences gave their best back. This piece proves that no matter what, love, language and power will always win.
‘Power, Language and Love’ performed for one night only at the Sit Down Comedy Club. For more shows from the venue, visit the Sit Down Comedy Club website.
